Apparatus for unwrapping inner tubes



L. C. RIBLETT.

APPARATUS FOR UNWRAPPING INNER TUBES. APPLICATION mmunu. 1919.

1,41 5 ,709. Patentd May 9, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcEQ LEWIS C. RIBIIETT, OF .AKRON, OH'IO, ASSIGNOBJ TO THE FIRESTONE TIRE AND RUBBER OOMPANY, OF AKRON. OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR UNWRAPPIN'G INNER TUBES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1.922.

Application filed May 8, 1919. Serial No. 295,772.

To all ell/tom it may concern Be it known that I, LEWIS C. Brennrr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Unwrapping Inner Tubes, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to an apparatus for unwinding the cloth. wrapper which is wound about the inner tubes as they are formed on the mandrels and on which they are vulcanized. Prior to my invention it has been customary to unwind the cloth wrapper from the tubes on to a long pole, and when the pole was full to remove it to another location where the wrapper was re moved on a quill or spool, from which it was taken to the tube wrappers and used over again in the wrapping of inner tubes.

It is the purpose of my invention to dis pense with the pole in the wrapping and unwrapping devices and to wind the wrapper directly on the spool or quill. from which it is used in the wrapping of the fresh tubes. For this purpose it has been necessary to make certain changes in the construction of the well-known unwrapping and stripping machine and combine it with. the spindle winding machine, as will appear from the description.

In the drawing there is shown. one embodiment of the invention, but it is not intended to limit the invention. to the exact form shown.

Fig. 1" is a side elevation of the combined unwrapping and rewinding machine.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the quill or spindle upon which the wrapper is rewound.

In the drawings, 1 represents a tube unwrapping apparatus, such as now in use, on which are carried a pair of rails 2 support ing the cradle or carriage 3 on which the tubes from the vulcanizer are stacked.

At one side of the space provided for the carriage are arranged brackets 4 supporting pins 5 on which are rotatably mounted pairs of rollers 6 designed to support the ends of the tube mandrels 7. The wrapper about the tube is shown at 8. In the method of manufacture prior to my invention, the wrapper has been removed on a long pole or rod, which, when full, is placed in a separate machine and rewound on a narrow roll called a quill or spool, from which the wrapping has been reused. p

In place of winding the wrapping on the pole and performing he subsequent rewind ing operation, I have combined with the tube unwrapping machine a spooling machine which forms the wrappinginto the narrow roll directly. In order to do this, there is provided on the unwrapping machine a con tinuously operated rapidly driven pulling or unwinding roll, designated by the numeral 9, rotatably mounted in bearings 10 on the underside ot the brackets 4;. The roll extends the entire length of the unwrapping machine and is driven by a sprocket chain, belt or other suitable driving device. 11, from a motor 12.

The rewrapping machine is placed at a short distance from the unwrapping machine and is indicated. generally by the numeral 13. It comprises any suitable sup giorting means and a pan 14; which is normally partially filled with water. The wrap from the pulling roll 9 passes over the edge oi the pan 14. under an immersing roll 15, to a driven roll 16, which is rotated at the same or slightly greater speed than the roll 9 by a motor 17 and. belt 18. spindle or spool 19 which rests on the roll 16 being held between pairs of rollers 20 on the ends of pivoted levers 2].. The pivoted. levers are secured to a shaft rotated in hearings on the stand and carrying an army 23. A cord or rope .241 is fastened at one end to the arm 23, passes around sheaves 25 and 26 and is fastened. at the other end. to a foot treadle 27.

As the spool 19 rests on the surface of the roll 16, it will be driven from the motor 17 as long as the weight of the arms 21 is not balanced. When, however, the operator clesires to stop the wrapping operation, pressure on the foot treadle will relieve the weight of the parts sufficiently to allow the spool to slip.

The force of the spool rotation. is not strong enough to unwind the wrap from the mandrel and the pulling roller 9 serves to exert suiiicient force on the wrap to unwind the tube wrap ing. It will be noted that the roll 9 is placed at such a point that the wrap must partially surround the roll and thereby sufficient pull is exerted.

The operation will be understood from the The wrap is rewouud on a description given. The operator standing in front of the unwrapping machine 13 passes the end of the wrap from one of the mandrels around the roll 9, threads it into the rewinding machine and starts it around the spool 19, in the meantime relieving the weight of the parts by pressure on the foot treadle 27. The treadle is then released and the pulley 16 begins to wind the wrap on the spool. As the loose wrap is pulled up around the roll 9, which is rotated continuously, the

. said roll exerts sufficient force to unwrap the tubes, the operator guiding the wrap from the roll to the rew-inding machine. While one mandrel is being unwrapped, a second mandrel can be placed in position on the bracket and will be ready to be unwound when the first tube has been freed of its wrapping material.

Changes and modifications may be made in the form of the apparatus as shown without departing from the invention or sacrificing any of its benefits.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for unwinding and then coiling the protective winding of inner tubes, comprising means for rotatably supporting at its ends the mandrel of an inner tube with its protective wrapping thereon, a positively driven unwinding roll mounted in substantially parallelism with the position of the mandrel, and means for forming the wrapping into a coil as it leaves the unwinding roll, said means including a positively driven roll for frictional engagement by the wrapping strip, and a rotatable spool upon which the wrapping is to be coiled said spool being' in frictional driving relation with the driven roll and mounted for movement into and out of operative relation with the said roll.

2. In an apparatus for unwrapping inner tubes on inandrels, comprising a holder for supporting the mandrel for free rotation, a positively driven pole extending parallel to and co-extensive with the mandrel, and :1 spool carrier and a spool to receive the wrapping material in a single width, and means to drive the spool, the wrapping material passing from the mandrel around the pole and to the spool, whereby wrapping material is pulled from the mandrel by the pole and wound up by the spool, the spool maintaining the wrapping material in frictional contact with the pole.

LEWIS C. RIBLETT. 

